You are invited to participate in the SMS4dadsSA
research project which is being conducted by
Associate Professor Richard Fletcher, Faculty of Health
and Medicine at the University of Newcastle. This study
is designed to test phone based support systems that
sends information to fathers during their transition to
parenthood. The study will also test an associated,
phone based system which monitors a father’s stress
and links those who need support to appropriate
services.

Why is the research being done?

The purpose of this research is to test a system for
sending informative text messages to expectant and
new fathers. These messages will often include links to
further information and are intended to provide
information, motivation and practical advice on child
development, parenting, family support, and family
relationships. The study will also test an associated
system for monitoring fathers’ psychological
well-being and responding when they indicate that
they are experiencing high levels of stress.

Who can participate in the research?

You can participate in this research if you are over 18
years of age and if your partner is at least 20 weeks
pregnant. You must enrol before the baby is born. Only
fathers who have a mobile phone capable of receiving
and sending text messages can participate in the study.

What will I be asked to do?

If you agree to participate, you will be asked to:

• Complete a consent form at the
website provided on the final page

• Provide some information about your
child and you, expected date of birth,
phone number and email address

• Complete a brief survey about your
current state of stress, and experience
of becoming or being a father

• Receive regular text messages, 14 per
month (2 to 5 per week) over a period
ranging to 44 weeks

• Depending on when you enrol you will be invited to complete surveys during the third trimester of the pregnancy, approximately 6 weeks and 12 weeks after the birth and then at the end of the study. The surveys will ask about your experience of the messages and include questions about stress and anxiety, bonding with your baby, and coparenting. You will also be asked if you would agree to discuss similar issues in a telephone interview at these times. All of the surveys and interviews are voluntary and you will continue receiving messages until you text ‘STOP’ or you reach the end of the study.

• If you agree, pass some information
about the study onto your parenting
partner asking her to participate in an
associated study. You can still
participate in the study without taking
up this option

• If your partner does decide to
participate your data will be matched
through a code provided on your
partner’s consent form

What choice do I have?

Participation in this research is entirely your choice.
Only those people who give their informed consent will
be included in the project. Whether or not you decide
to participate, your decision will not disadvantage you.
Participants can withdraw from the project at any time
by texting “Stop” to SMS4dadsSA.

Participants may withdraw for a variety of reasons,
due to the messages or the timing or because there has been a change to
the pregnancy or the birth (fathers can become isolated when this happens
and it may be useful to keep the Rednose website address handy https://rednose.com.au/).

Participants can
withdraw without giving reason and all information
provided by the participant for this research will be
destroyed if they ask for this to be done. However,
participants who withdraw will receive a final text
asking why they withdrew. If withdrawing participants
respond to this text the information provided will be
stored in de-identified files, not linked to them in any
way.

How much time would it take?

Questionnaires at the beginning and at different time
periods of the study usually take about 10-20 minutes
to complete. Reading and responding to text messages
should take no more than a minute or two on each
occasion.

What are the risks and benefits of participating?

We hope that participants will find benefit from the information that they receive through the text messages. Among the text messages that you will receive you will be offered an interactive Mood Checker to assess how you are managing the challenges of being a new father. Responding to the questions are voluntary. If your responses indicate serious distress you will receive a telephone call from a Health Professional experienced in supporting new fathers or from the Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia helpline. There is also a potential that the information in text messages or questionnaires could raise discussion about distressing issues, encourage distressing thoughts, or contribute to existing emotional or psychological issues.

If you do become distressed through participation in
this study you are encouraged to seek support through
Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA),
which is a national dedicated perinatal mental health
service on 1 300 726 306 (Monday to Friday,
9am-7.30pm AEST, or Lifeline 13 11 14 (24 hours)

Are there circumstances when information may be shared?

All people have the right to support services before a
situation reaches crisis point. They also have the right to
privacy. Your personal information will not be disclosed
to a third party except in accordance authorities which
allow sharing information, such as Information Privacy
Principles, or s93 of the Health Care Act 2008 (SA) and
s106 of the Mental Health Act 2009 (SA)

How will my privacy be protected?

Any information collected by researchers which might
identify you will be stored securely and only accessed
by the researchers unless you consent otherwise,
except as required by law. Data will be retained for at
least 5 years at the University of Newcastle, unless you
asked for it to be destroyed.

Your information will remain confidential except in the case of a legal requirement to pass on personal information to authorised third parties. This requirement is standard and applies to information collected both in research and non-research situations. Such requests to access information are rare; however we have an obligation to inform you of this possibility.

How will the information collected be used?

The study outcomes may be used to develop a better
understanding of how to support fathers during the
time before and after the arrival of a new baby. Study
outcomes may also be published in journal articles or
presented at conferences. Individual participants will
not be identified in any reports arising from the project.
A summary of the research results will be available to
you upon request. You can either request this
information on the attached survey or request this
information by mailing or emailing Associate Professor
Richard Fletcher.

What do I need to do to participate?

Click next page to complete the consent form and then you’re done!

Further information

If you would like further information please contact

Richard Fletcher on (02) 4921 6401.

THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THIS INVITATION

COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS RESEARCH

This project has been approved by WCHN Human Research Ethics Committee Reference No. HREC/18/WCHN/20.
and the University of Newcastle’s Human Research Ethics Committee, Reference No. H-2016-0055.
Should you have concerns about your rights as a participant in this research, or you have a
complaint about the manner in which the research is conducted,
it may be given to the researcher, or, if an independent person is preferred, to the
Executive Officer of the WCHN Human research Ethics Committee, Mr Luke Fraser, (08) 8161 6521
the University of Newcastle’s Human Research Ethics Committee, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia,
telephone (02) 49217894, or email human-ethics@newcastle.edu.au